June 17/09 16:59 pm - Cycling (in the) news

Posted by Editoress on 06/17/09

"Motivation can't take you very far if you don't have the legs" - Lance Armstrong

"Good morale in cycling comes from good legs" Sean Yates

Consensus reached regarding the use of Parc Jean-Drapeau's Circuit Gilles-VilleneuveThe Société du parc Jean-Drapeau will be implementing a pilot project over the next few days aimed at facilitating the co-existence of all users on Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve.

The pilot-project is the result of a consensus reached by all participants at a meeting held on Tuesday. The meeting includedrepresentatives of the Association québécoise des sports en fauteuil roulant, Fédération québécoise des sports cyclistes, Triathlon Québec, Vélo Québec, Société du parc Jean-Drapeau, and paralympic medalist Chantal Petitclerc. The goal of the meeting was to find a common solution that would make the use ofthe circuit safer for everyone utilizing it.Read more at Newswire

Put your questions to Denis MenchovDenis Menchov, winner of the 2009 Giro d’Italia is ready to answer (your) questions ahead of the Tour de France.Read more at BBC news

Proposed greenway upsets residentsSome residents would rejoice if the city chose to make the street in front of their home a "greenway" or bike route with more greenery and measures to keep motor vehicles at bay. But Dawne Shong, who lives on East 59th Avenue and Knight, where a new pedestrian and cyclist friendly route is proposed, isn't one of them.Read more at Canada.com

Bike racks, lane and parking lot ... When I was in Fredericton on Saturday I noticed the city now has bike lanes on many of its streets. A great improvement if you ask me. They've had bike racks on the front of city buses for a while now (something I think Peterborough should look into) but every additional convenience to get more people cycling helps.

I checked out the city's Green Matters website to see what else they've been working on, and it seems cyclists are really benefiting this spring and summer. Read more at Peterborough Examiner

Naked pedal tests mettleThe phalanx of naked cyclists at Bloor and Avenue Rd. on Saturday afternoon drew a variety of responses, but I wonder how many people shared mine?Read more at Toronto Star

Canadian cyclist catches on with Armstrong’s development teamTen months ago aspiring pro cyclist Cody Campbell was sending out resumes from his Surrey, B.C., home and hoping that someone - anyone - would call offering a ticket to ride this season.

The phone was silent. And then one day it rang. The caller from Kelowna, B.C., was former Belgian national champ and Olympic medallist Axel Merckx, asking if he’d like to join the legendary Lance Armstrong’s under-23 Trek-Livestrong development team.

Now the 19-year-old Campbell - the sole Canadian on the 11-man Austin, Texas-based squad - has a two-year contract and a busy calendar that took him to France for last month’s Paris-Roubaix under-23 race.Read more at Canada.com

Cyclist quells fears to cross bridgeLangley lawyer Steve Fruitman hopes to be one of the first to cross the new Golden Ears Bridge when it opens to traffic next Tuesday.

The Maple Ridge resident has actually been watching the bridge progress with great anticipation - and a giant dose of fear - for the past two years.

At least nine months of every year, and more if weather permits, this 44-year-old lawyer with Lindsay Kenney cycles back and forth to work on a daily basis.Read more at Langley Advance

Cyclists ConcernedThe executive and membership of the Kawartha Cycling Club are increasingly concerned over the gradual deterioration of paved roads around the city. It is to the point that in 2009 many of our traditional cycling routes are no longer useable, being too rough for enjoyable or even safe riding.

Both asphalt and chip-and-tar surfaces around the city have suffered from water infiltration and frost damage that has literally torn up surfaces, left potholes, extended cracks and very unstable road edges. Read more at Lindsay Post

Summer brings bike safety concerns It's that time of year again, when pedestrians, cyclists and motorists begin to jockey for their own share of the road.So Station 12 police officers, along with their counterparts across the city, have been gearing up to get cyclists to travel safely.

They launched their annual bicycle campaign a couple of weeks ago, warning cyclists and drivers in Westmount about their bad habits. Now they're handing out tickets - and each infraction could net you between $37 and $274 in fines. It's that time of year again, when pedestrians, cyclists and motorists begin to jockey for their own share of the road.So Station 12 police officers, along with their counterparts across the city, have been gearing up to get cyclists to travel safely.

They launched their annual bicycle campaign a couple of weeks ago, warning cyclists and drivers in Westmount about their bad habits. Now they're handing out tickets - and each infraction could net you between $37 and $274 in fines. Read more at Westmount Times

Diet Coke bicycle commercial churns up controversyLast winter Coca-Cola, a company that certainly knows something about trendiness, put out a commercial in the UK starring soul singer du jour Duffy. Nothing too surprising about that, after all, shilling for Coke is a hallowed practice among pop stars in every medium.

In the commercial, Duffy bounces off stage and is handed a Diet Coke. She is then told she has a quick break before her next song or dance or whatever. Delighted, she decides that this free time is best spent singing (I suppose she doesn't quite understand the concept of a "break") and bicycling through the streets of London..... the British Advertising Standards Authority received 22 complaints that the ad "condoned behavior prejudicial to health and safety" mostly by portraying the pop star as riding without a helmet, lights, or reflective clothing at night.Read more at Examiner.com

Cyclists Fight MSCycling enthusiast from all walks of life came together to make a difference in the lives of over 11,000 Albertans, June 13 and 14 during the 20th annual Leduc to Camrose MS Bike Tour.

About 1,500 cyclists participated in the event, which raised over $1.5 million for the MS Society of Canada. Read more at The Camrose Canadian

Soldiers cycle in support of fundraiser On the weekend, more than 500 soldiers in Kingston and a few in Afghanistan took part in a fundraiser for Soldier On, a program that helps injured soldiers maintain a healthy and active lifestyle after they leave hospital.

It also allows soldiers who have accepted their injuries to act as a peer support group for those whose injuries are fresh. Read more at Kingston Whig-Standard

Bikes and cars: self-righteousness vs. self-preservationRecently, Stephen Pastis lampooned cyclists in his Pearls Before Swine comic strip (June 2). In one panel, the character Rat says, "I don't know what it is about cyclists, but every one I've ever met has always been so self-righteous."

I had to laugh. The remark hit close to home. Like many Portlanders, I commute by bicycle and I know what sort of reaction we spark among many of our non-cycling fellows. I shared the strip with friends, who said, " It's YOU!" Read more at Oregon Live

Funding boost puts CA plans pedal to medalA Multimillion-dollar boost to Cycling Australia's high-performance budget has been sealed, with its primary objective to produce gold medals at the London Olympics.

The private corporate sponsorship from caravan manufacturer Jayco announced yesterday will increase the CA high-performance budget by about 20 per cent a year for the next three years. In total, the deal is expected to be worth more than $3 million.Read more at Brisbane Times

Lance Armstrong slashes Texas home-for-sale price (by) $1.5 millionEven The House That Lance Built, the expansive 447-acre property near Dripping Springs, Texas, has been hurt by the suffering economy.Read more at The Examiner

Cycling 'dying through drugs' says three-times Tour winner LeMondGreg LeMond, the former three-times winner of the Tour de France, said yesterday that cycling is on a "slow death march" because of widespread, systematic doping, and added: "In 20 years, drugs will have damaged cycling so much it mightn’t be at the Olympics."

He added that Tour riders were "lab rats" for doping doctors, and claimed that deaths and suicides in the sport "are on the rise" as a result of doping. Read more at The Independent

Putting offenders behind handlebarsThis month, 196 prisoners are taking part in the first penal Tour de France. Its aim: to rehabilitate them. Can it work?

What is the last thing that you would give convicts jailed for offences such as murder, mugging, theft and drug-dealing? A bicycle and an invitation to pedal off, perhaps. In that case you would be out of tune with the aspirations of the French Prison Service, which has released almost 200 criminals to cycle around the country on what is officially called the Penitentiary Tour de France 2009. Read more at Times Online

Bike to Work Day Draws Record Crowds of CyclistsSan Francisco's annual Bike to Work Day drew a record 200,000 bicyclists this morning, according to early estimates, making it the most successful bike to work day since it began 15 years ago. Crowds of cyclists took advantage of the SFBC Energizer Stations to get food and coffee and make new friends in what has become the most exciting and politically important year for bicycle improvements in the city.Read more at sf.streetsblog.org